We’re inching ever closer to a return to Middle-earth and, as such, the animated feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is becoming clearer by the day. Following a first look at the hero and villain of the prequel story at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last month, a new image has been exclusively revealed by Anime Expo that spotlights the headstrong princess of Rohan, Héra, as she leads the charge in the battle for her kingdom. Voiced by A Walk in the Woods alum Gaia Wise, she’s set to be the lead for the first anime installment in the J.R.R. Tolkien universe, as the dire circumstances of her father and their people force her to rally the resistance against a mighty new foe.

The War of the Rohirrirm is set 183 years before the events of the beloved Peter Jackson trilogy and recounts the fate of the legendary King of Rohan Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and his house. Moreover, it explores the origins of the fabled fortress, Helm’s Deep, named in his honor. Following an attack by the cunning Dunlending lord Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) in retaliation for his father’s death, the king is defeated and sent reeling to the stronghold that will eventually become Helm’s Deep to make a final stand. Though the anime film largely chronicles his story, audiences will follow his daughter Héra, who grapples with the increasingly desperate situation and becomes the leader her people need to stave off their would-be destroyers.

The new image shows Héra riding her horse valiantly through the woods with a look of determination indicating she’s in a hurry. Award-winning anime director Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus), who was tapped to helm The War of the Rohirrim, expressed to Anime Expo how the project was built on the backs of the strong women of the Tolkien realm, both through the daring Héra and a returning Éowyn, played once again by Miranda Otto, who narrates the events. He believes this project is one for fans of the original books while letting a historical protagonist shine through stunning animation and action.

“In Japanese animation, it’s not uncommon for a female protagonist to be the main character, but it’s more rare in the live-action films made from The Lord of the Rings. Our film has a strong female lead in Héra, and our story is narrated by the noble Tolkien figure Éowyn, so women are very well represented. I think there are a lot of fans who really like Tolkien’s original work, so I hope those people will enjoy it. Making this movie has been a fun challenge.”

‘The War of the Rohirrim’ Embraces Japanese Storytelling Within the Realm of Tolkien

Kamiyama directed the animation while Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou wrote the script based on a story by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Already, they have a vital stamp of approval from Academy Award-winning screenwriter Philippa Boyens, the writer of Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy and part of Kamiyama’s production team. In her own comments to Anime Expo, she hailed the film for its focus on characters first and foremost and how it blends anime stylings with the beloved fantasy series. “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim works for anime because it is character-driven and contained within its own world, two things that work beautifully with Japanese storytelling, and there’s no better storyteller in this medium than Kenji Kamiyama.”

Rounding out the cast for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim are Shaun Dooley, Lorraine Ashbourne, Michael Wildman, Bilal Hasna, Jude Akuwudike, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, and Janine Duvitski. The animated film will hit theaters on December 13. Visit our helpful guide here for everything to know heading into the anime prequel and check out the new Anime Expo image above.